


A Man Of Fortune

by FrozenHearts



Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Cemetery, Character Study, Depression, F/M, Family, Family Feels, Friendship, Gen, Getting to Know Each Other, In-Laws, Introspection, Mentioned Cassie Drake, Mentioned Nathan Drake, Post-Canon, Prison, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Hatred, graves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2017-09-11
Packaged: 2018-12-26 15:10:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12061527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrozenHearts/pseuds/FrozenHearts
Summary: Elena didn't think the idea of visiting her own grave was funny.





	A Man Of Fortune

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [In Between the Action](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6762082) by [Thalius](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thalius/pseuds/Thalius). 



> I love Sam in UC4 and Elena needs more love I think so here

Elena didn't think the idea of visiting her own grave was funny. She had read stories here and there of people commisioning headstones as a joke, which was all fine and good because it wasn't her money they were throwing away. But she would never consider it funny.

Sam, Nathan's brother, seemed to find it hilarious. It took until she tracked down Nathan to Madagascar for lying about the Malaysia job to even lesrn he existed, but she was learning aome interesting things about her newfound brother-in-law.

For one thing, Cassie adored him. Despite being grumpy and rough when he first came to the house, Cassie decided he was the best person in the world and immediately began showing off one of her history papers she'd written about- of all things- Panamanian prison systems in Belize. He'd taken it in stride, of course, and even gave her a firsthand account of his experience and let her take photos of his tattoos to show her class, but she could tell he was more than a bit uncomfortable.

Cassie thankfully never pushed the subject after Nathan pulled her aside after dinner that night to talk.

Another thing, aside from his penchance for cigarettes and hunting treasure, was that he loved his family. Despite being bitter about being left to rot in prison for fifteen years, Sam never faulted Nathan for it. In fact, he was glad Nathan had moved on, started a family and all that jazz. Elena could tell Sam cared about Nathan's happiness more than his own, and now Cassie was sneaking in to be his newfound favorite family member. 

Granted, Elena still had fifteen years of catching up to do with Sam. It started when Sam approached her one day asking how to play her Crash Bandicoot game, since Nathan and Cassie had made a bet on his highscore. She showed him what buttons to press and somehow, Sam's score sat in the top-most slot of the rankings chart by the end. It was funny watching him try to figure out how to use a smartphone, and he didn't really understand the concept of FaceTime and Skype, but he was getting there.

Most of the time they would be talking to Sam's left nostril or whatever Hawaiian shirt he was wearing that day, but he was getting there.

Birthdays were still a bit if an issue. Attention, Nathan said, was something Sam was not used to, and the first time they decided to throw Sam a birthday party, he broke down crying.

Elena guessed sitting in prison for fifteen years would do that to a person.

Now, however, she was learning that Sam Drake found the idea of visiting his own grave absolutely fucking hilarious. She had been watching television when he wandered into the living room and asked. Cassie was at school, and Nathan was currently digging garbage out of whatever ocean Jameson dragged him to for work.

"You want to visit your mother's grave?" Elena guessed, raising an eyebrow as Sam shrugged, picking non-existent lint off the couch.

"Well, that, and Nate said he put mine right next to hers," Sam gave her a half-hearted smile, "Just curious to see how it looks, y' know?"

So Elena humored him and now they were standing in front of the worst kept plot in the cemetary. Sam was dusting leaves and scratching bird shit off his mother's headstone. The one next to it Elena could only assume was Sam's. 

"Damn proprietiers need to keep up with their shit," Sam muttered under his breath as he eventually gave up cleanjng the stone, "my cell was cleaner then this and there was shit on the floor almost everyday."

Elena nodded, "If you want we can bring flowers next time. Spruce it up a bit."

Sam shook his head, "Nah. They'd probably get crushed by their lawnmowers anyway."

He went quiet after that, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. Elena was pretty sure she saw a "No Smoking" sign on the front gate when they came, but she didn't say anything, training her gaze on Sam's headstone.

Nathan sure didn't go cheap. The headstone was made of smooth granite, a black plaque bolted over it with Sam's name engraved in large letters. The stone didn't have any dates, simply a quote written on the bottom.

"I am a man of fortune, and I must seek my fortune," Sam took a drag from his cigarette.

"Sir Francis Drake or Henry Avery?" Elena said.

"Little bit if both," Sam flicked the ash from his cigarette before dropping it and stomping it under his boot, "I really gotta quit smoking."

Elena chuckled. Sam gave her a curious look, "What's so funny?"

"Pretty sure Avery or Drake never said that," Elena joked, "Why no date on your stone?"

"Nathan wanted to be funny, make it look like I was one of those mysterious figures of history," Sam explained, "Honestly it was a load of bull. No one would care who I was anyway."

Elena pursed her lip. Nathan probably succeeded in that regard. Often when Nathan brought Cassie and herself to visit his mother's grave, Cassie often asked about Sam's. He never said anything, instead leading into the idea that he was a complete mystery, a total enigma. 

"It's funny," Sam said suddenly, "Just being here, standing in front of my own grave."

"I can imagine," Elena nodded.

"I remember sitting in my cell once and I was thinking about what it would be like," Sam added, "Being here now is so surreal."

Elena crossed her arms, "Did you think you would ever be buried in Panama?"

Sam nodded, scrubbing his face roughly. Elena noticed tears dotting the corners of his eyes but didn't say anything. The birds in flight tattooed on his neck bobbed as he took a breath. 

"I got these birds because of that," Sam tapped his neck, "I just wanted so badly to see my brother again, just to be out. Didn't matter to me if I got out alive or dead."

Elena grimaced. She didn't know if Sam ever told Nathan about the meanings of his tattoos. She knew Cassie liked the one on his neck in particular because she thought it was pretty, and once in a while Sam would let Cassie color in the black inked outlines with a marker or paint. Elena had a picture of it somewhere on her phone, an image of a ten year old Cassie leaning over a sleeping Sam and doodling on his skin with a purple Sharpie.

"I'm glad your alive," Elena said, "Nate was always sad when Cassie brought up your grave."

"That's his own fault for being secretive," Sam scoffed, "I mean, I ain't the best role model for my niece, but I'm not that bad."

"Is that quote because you thought it was cool?" Elena smiled, leaning down to trace the letters with her finger.

"In part, yeah," Sam admitted, "but really it was because we followed Sir Francis Drake all our lives. It was important to us, y'know?"

Elena nodded. Nathan had said the same many times.

"Really though, I had him use that quote because at this point, I thought I'd be dead. And Nate woulda been fortunate to be free of me. He wouldn't get in trouble anymore, he wouldn't fuck up his relationship with you anymore-"

Elena put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a reassuring squeeze, "Sam, just stop right there. I know it's hard, and I don't really get how you're feeling but Cassie loves you. Nate has never been happier to have you back in his life."

Sam gave her an incredulous look, glaring at the stone before reaching for another cigarette.

"Elena, what good am I to anyone? I have no work skills and the only social skills I got involve Spanish and fistfights."

"So? It's just different," Elena pointed out, "Cassie has never known her uncle and now she does and she loves you!"

Sam shook his head, "I ain't good for you guys. Cassie shouldn't look up to me like she does."

Elena put an arm around him, although with his broad shoulders she had some trouble. She didn't realize how buff he was either, considerably more than Nathan. 

"Listen, Sam," Elena hugged him, "You don't get to say what's good for me. I do. And you're my brother-in-law, so you're stuck with us."

Sam reciprocated the hug, and Elena could feel the rumble of his laugh as he rested his chin against her shoulder.

"You're too good for my brother, I swear," Sam said, "If he does anything stupid, you call me."

"Very funny tough, guy," Elena retorted, withdrawing herself from the hug, "But seriously. We're all very happy you're here. We love you."

Sam muttered a "Yeah, yeah," under his breath before putting out his other cigarette. He crushed it under the toe of his boot.

"C'mon, we gotta go pick up Cassie from school," Sam said. Elena followed as he began walking, his hands shoved in his pockets.

"You never wanted to come to Cassie's school before," Elena said.

Sam smirked, "They gotta know big bad Uncle Sam exists right?"

Elena pushed him forward, laughing as he tripped over his own feet.

"Save it for the Fourth of July, buddy," Elena said, "Let's go home."


End file.
